Conveying apparatus.



} Patented Mai. 4, I902. J. G. DELANEY & T. S. MILLER.

CONVEYING APPARATUS. (Application filed Jan. 6. 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

. \NVENHR'S. J/M, ATTQRNEYS,

No. 694,355. Patented Mar. 4, I902. J. G. DELANEY &. T. S. MILLER.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

I (No Model.)

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NVENTORS. KM ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES G. DELANEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND THOMAS SPENCER MILLER,

OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEXV JERSEY."

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,355, dated March 4, 1902.

Application filed January 6, 1899. Serial No. 701.311. (N modeLl To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES G. DELANEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, and THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, of South Orange,

Essex county, New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of our present inven- [0 tion is to provide for the conveyance of coal or other commodities between boats at sea.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown the bestmode in which we have thus far contemplated applying the principle of. our invention, which, however, may be applied in various other forms.

Figure 1 is a side view of two ships equipped with an apparatus according to our invention, one of the ships being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a detail of the same en larged. Fig. 3 is a side view of a load-carriage in carrying position. Fig; 4 is an end view of the same, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same in discharging position. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sheave, partly in section, atthe discharging end. Fig. 7 shows a modified form of float 7L2, which extends above the surface of the water.

A is a ship to which coal, provisions, mail, or other commodity is to be delivered from the ship B.

C is a rope connecting the two ships.

The ship A is provided with propelling mechanism, so that while the apparatus is in 3 5 operation the propelling mechanism on the ship A causes it to pull the ship B through the pull-line 0. If, as is preferable, the ship Bis not anchored, this pulling action will tow the boat B along, but otherwise if the ship B is at anchor. In either case, however, the propellin g of the ship A in a direction away from the ship 13, to which it is attached by the pullline C, willser've to maintain as uniform a distance between the ships as the elements will.

tends from the elevated support on ship B to and around a sheave g on the elevated support of ship A, and the other of'which, 6 extends thence back to the elevated support on ship B. The two branches 6 and e are preferably substantially parallel. The transitrope E is fastened to the load-support D in some manner suitable for moving the loadsupport. The method of fastening we prefer is by such a gripping engagement as is indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, where the transitrope E is gripped between a shoe d, fixed to a side plate (1 and the roller d journaled upon the eccentric (1 which is fixed to the pin (1 having its hearings in the side plate d and fixed to and oscillated by the laterallyextending arm (1 to the extremity of which the pendant (Z is pivoted.

Z is a finger pivoted to the pendant at Z. In 7o its supporting position it is held by a latch Z which has a slot-and-pin' connection with the pendant at F, and is connected with a rear projection Z of the finger Z by the lever Z and link l in such a way that in supporting posi tion the lever and link are thrown past the center lines, so as to lock the finger Z, as shown in Fig. 3, but permitting the finger Z to be depressed, so as to drop the load by the striking of the upper end of the latch Z against apro- 8o jection or abutment g, as shown in Fig. 5. When the finger is in supporting position, a guard 1, extending downwardly from the pendant d to the extremity of the finger Z, holds the load upon the finger.

d is a projection from the shoe d, having the form in horizontal and vertical sections, respectively, shown in Figs. 6 and 4 and adapted to fit in the groove of sheave g, be-. tween the sheave and the transit-rope E, so 0 that the load-support may be carried by the transit-rope around the sheave g and thence back to the starting-point.

The two branches e and e of the transitrope extend over sheaves at f f and thence down to a transit-actuator H, which may consist of a friction-rope-drum engine constructed, operated, and frictionally controlled substantially as shown inUnited $tates Patent No. 541,308, dated June 18, 1895. The transit- 10o rope branch e takes several turns around the rope -drum h of said actuator and thence passes around a movable sheave f whence it extends over the. sheave f as the transit-rope branch 8.

12. is a tension-actuator acting upon the sheave f through the rope 1', which extends around a fixed pulley t". The tension-actuator 7L consists of a float which is immersed in a vertical column of water t contained in a suitable receptacle 2, which extends from the deck *8 of the vessel B down into the hull thereof. The float may be provided with a Vertical passage (shown at 71, in dotted lines) for-the passage of the rope t' and of water through it.

h is the level of the surface of the Water.

The bottom of the shoe (1 is of the form shown to adapt it to fit into the grooves of sheavesf and f between the rope E and the sheave.

In operation aload-support with suspended load is clamped to the transit-rope branch e at the deck of the ship 13. The transit-actuator H moves the transit-rope continuously in the direction of the arrows e e. The loadsupport is thus carried upward and over the sheave f and across the span to the elevated support G, where the load is discharged by the operation shown in Fig. 5. Thence the unloaded support passes around the sheave backward across the span, over the sheave f, and downward until its lower end strikes the deck or other obstacle, so as to lift the arm d and thus oscillate the eccentric 01 so as to unclamp the support from the transit-rope and permit it to fall off onto the deck of the vessel to be used again by being clamped onto the transit-rope branche, as before.

As the above operation is in progress the pulling of the boat A upon the pull-rope C will tend to keep the vessels at an approximately uniform distance from each other; but this distance will be varied by the lurching of the vessel, due to the action of the waves, producing corresponding slacks and strains in the transit-rope. In orderthat the transitrope crossing the span may automatically lengthen and shorten to meet these demands and at the same time maintain the loads at an approximately normal elevation, the tension-actuator h is provided,which by the constant pressure of the liquid upon the float applies, through the sheave f to the transit-,

rope, a constant tension that operates without undue violence or shock and Without danger, and yet with that promptness essential to maintaining the normal elevation of the loads. It the float 7L2 consists of an air-inclosure, its tension upon the transit-rope may, if desired, be reduced by the admission of a certain amount of water to its interior.

We claim supports, a load-carrier, a ropeway whereon said load-carrier is transferred from one support to the other, a tension mechanism tending to hold said ropeway taut and consisting of a fioat immersed in a fluid.

2. In combination, two relatively moving supports, a transit-rope extending between the same, a transit-rope actuator and a tension device for holding said transit-rope taut consisting of a body actuated by a column of fluid.

3. In combination, two relatively moving supports, a ropeway between the same,a float and means whereby the buoyancy of said float exerts a tension on said ropeway.

4. In a conveying apparatus load-carrier, in combination, a shoe d, a cam adapted to act upon the rope in opposition thereto and a load-rest connected with said cam, substantially as described; whereby the weight of the load tends to hold said cam in clamping position.

5. In a load-carrier for cableways, the combination of two movable rope-clamping members, a weight-suspending bar connected with one of the clamping members, and by gravity causing the clamping members to grip the rope, and a weight-releasingdevice having a tripping member adapted to engage a fixed member to free the load.

6. In a load-carrier fora cableway,the combination with a shoe, a cam adapted to act upon the rope in opposition thereto and a loadsupport connected with said cam to clamp the cam upon the cable by gravity, of a trigger or tripping member adapted to engage a fixed object to free the load.

JAMES G. DELANEY. THOMAS SPENCER MILLER. lVitnesses:

FRED S. KEMPER, JAMEs T. LAW.

1. In combination, two relatively moving 

